R3Connect

Bringing research to life...

Animations

Fuzzy
Artist notes: Blending graphic design elements like typography and shape language, Fuzzy is a bittersweet story of living with darkness. Our central character shares their discovery of ‘meditation for fidgets’ in this brief but powerful animation.
Link to research: Creative practice provides personalised coping strategies, giving people some level of control over living with mental health conditions.

Dust til Dawn
Artist notes: I didn’t really know what my animation was going to be about, so I decided to create a picture of nature and a winding path leading into the scene. “For me, being outdoors and walking in the countryside brings me a sense of peace I rarely feel anywhere else. My worries melt away perhaps reflected in the animation melting into being and reconnecting me to a place I love.” Reflecting on my animation I realised that it also reflects life’s journey. A lot of my life I have always been trying to achieve or get somewhere, but after facing so much loss recently I have come to realise it’s about the journey. I try to hold onto this and enjoy those moments of calm when they come and I hope this animation provides you with a moment of peace.
Research notes: Here is another example of artistic practice helping to process and understand expereinces, bringing about acceptance.



Pilgrimage
Artist notes: Pilgrimage is an abstract depiction of life altering events in a person’s life, the feeling of things crumbling and being in a black void. However, for Buddhists, a pilgrimage is a journey that fosters spiritual development and growth. This shows that through contemplation, even in the darkest of times,
glimpses of knowledge, happiness, enjoyment, and light can be found in learning to live within the moment and finding meaning during each step, regardless of where it takes you. “There is light at the end
of the tunnel, and with hope comes growth and reconnection to one’s self, passions, and life.”
Link to research: 



Same storm…
Notes:This animation brought together group contributions from the R3connect project to reflect findings from the research of Dr Peters. A quote from one of the research participants inspired the story to explain the expereince of living with mental illness and staying well. This was described as the ‘same storm, different ships’. To visualise metaphor a lone sail boat navigate a storm, representing illness. When the lighthouse appears, this represents community groups and organisations that offer opportunities to engage in creative activities, providing alternative expereinces from illness. People involved in R3connect created their own images of a boat or ship, which appear from the light house. Boats/ships of different shapes and sizes come to help the sail boat toeing them to the lighthouse, illustrating how people with shared lived expereinces can support each other to create safe communities. In doing so the sail boat transforms in colour, still the same boat but different. The boats/ships still remain in the storm, as many people must continue to live with ongoing illness, but the community group holds a safe space in which to grow.